offensive
1. [ noun ] (military) the action of attacking the enemy
Synonyms: offence offense
Related terms: operation counteroffensive dirty_war rollback
2. [ adjective ] violating or tending to violate or offend against
Synonyms: violative
Examples:

"violative of the principles of liberty" "considered such depravity offensive against all laws of humanity"

Related terms: offending
3. [ adjective ] causing or able to cause nausea
Synonyms: loathsome nauseous noisome sickening vile nauseating
Examples:

"a nauseating smell" "nauseous offal" "a sickening stench"

Related terms: unwholesome
4. [ adjective ] causing anger or annoyance
Examples:

"offensive remarks"

Related terms: inoffensive abusive harmful disrespectful offensiveness
5. [ adjective ] morally offensive
Synonyms: unsavoury unsavory
Examples:

"an unsavory reputation" "an unsavory scandal"

Related terms: savory odoriferous
6. [ adjective ] for the purpose of attack rather than defense
Examples:

"offensive weapons"

Related terms: defensive hit-and-run assault marauding assaultive incursive antipersonnel on_the_offensive aggressive hostile
7. [ adjective ] unpleasant or disgusting especially to the senses
Examples:

"offensive odors"

Related terms: inoffensive hideous objectionable disgusting disgustful abhorrent charnel rank verminous scrimy creepy ghoulish evil unpleasant hateful unpalatable offensiveness
8. [ adjective ] of an offensive substitute for inoffensive terminology
Synonyms: dysphemistic
Examples:

"`nigger' is a dysphemistic term for `African-American'"

Related terms: euphemistic
Similar spelling:   offensively
  offense
  offence
  offenseless
  offenceless